Gauteng health services get 4.9% tariff hike
Gauteng residents will from Wednesday pay 4.9% more for provincial hospitals, mortuaries and ambulance services.
The Gauteng legislature’s Committee on Scrutiny of Subordinate Legislation (CSSL) has approved regulations which give effect to the annual adjustment fee of 4.9% on services payable by patients.
Chairperson Dulton Adams says some residents are exempt from paying the fee.
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"Not everybody is going to pay for these services. There are some categories which we have exempted.
"They are children under 6 years, pregnant women, social pensioners, any persons receiving social grants and formally unemployed people.
"Lastly, when we look at the foreigners in our country and the misnomer is that they receive free healthcare. We as the committee say no in terms of the approved regulations all foreign nationals are classified as full-paying patients except refugees with valid documents.”
Adams says affordability during the difficult economic times was taken into condition.
"We definitely looked at that in terms of where we find ourselves.
"Last year 2019/20 was a 6% increase and everything has gone up and we felt that a 4,9% was an appropriate increase so we can maintain the balance in making sure that the Health Department doesn't struggle in terms of its fiscus."